There is nothing quite like the smell of Traditional Hot Cross Buns baking in the oven. A delicious signal of the start of the Easter season and Good Friday. These classic British spiced buns are a staple for Good Friday, filled with warm notes of cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Studded with plump currants or raisins and finished with a sweet, sticky glaze, they taste best enjoyed warm and golden brown from the oven with a generous smear of butter.

Fresh out of the oven hot cross buns

This is the same great hot cross buns recipe that I first published in 2014, with updated pictures and a step-by-step video.

Table of contents

A glossy hot cross bun

Hot cross buns history

Hot cross buns have a long history in the UK and are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. These lightly spiced, fruit-filled buns are closely tied to Easter. They have been enjoyed for centuries, with roots going back to medieval England. Over time, they became a symbol of the end of Lent and were often shared among family and friends as part of the Easter celebrations.

So why are they called hot cross buns? The name comes from the simple cross marked on top of each bun before baking. Traditionally, this cross represents the crucifixion of Jesus. While the spices inside are said to symbolize the spices used in burial traditions. The word “hot” refers to the way they were originally sold – fresh and warm, often by street vendors.

A taste of tradition


In fact, nearly every child growing up in England is taught the famous Easter nursery rhyme about these buns. First published in London in 1798, the rhyme was originally a street cry used by bakers selling their fresh wares on Good Friday:

Hot cross buns!
Hot cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!

If you have no daughters,
Give them to your sons.

One a penny, two a penny,
Hot cross buns!

A hot cross bun cut in half with butter

Hot cross buns dough


We all know good food takes time, so you’ll need to do a little kneading and let the dough rise. After mixing, knead the dough until smooth and let it rise in a warm spot. Once you’ve shaped the buns, they’ll need a second rise. This is to ensure they are light and fluffy before heading into the oven.


Right before baking, pipe a cross made of flour, sugar, and water across the top of each bun. As they bake, the paste sets and stays pale, making the cross clearly visible against the golden-brown bun. There’s no need to cut a cross into the dough itself. The piped paste creates that iconic look perfectly as it bakes.


Tips for the Perfect Hot Cross Buns

  • Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best rise, make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature. Cold ingredients can “shock” the yeast and slow down the proofing process. If you’re in a hurry, place cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes and cut the butter into small cubes to soften quickly.
  • Check Your Yeast: Before you begin, make sure your yeast is fresh. To test it, stir the yeast into your warm milk with a pinch of sugar and let it sit for 5–10 minutes. If it becomes bubbly and foamy, it’s alive and ready to go! If nothing happens, it’s best to start over with a fresh packet.
  • Don’t Kill the Yeast: When warming your milk, make sure it is lukewarm (about 100°F to 110°F). If it’s too hot, it will kill the yeast; if it’s too cold, the buns won’t rise. Think “baby bath water” temperature!
  • The Windowpane Test: To ensure your buns are fluffy and not dense, knead the dough until it passes the “windowpane test.” Take a small piece of dough and stretch it out thin – if you can see light through it without it tearing, the gluten is perfectly developed.
  • The Perfect Cross: For a neat, white cross that doesn’t disappear, make your flour and water paste the consistency of thick toothpaste. If it’s too runny, it will bleed into the bun; if it’s too thick, it won’t pipe smoothly.
  • Glaze While Hot: Brush your apricot jam or sugar glaze over the buns the very second they come out of the oven. The heat helps the glaze soak in slightly and sets it to a beautiful, professional shine.
Hot cross buns studded with currants

How long do hot cross buns keep?


It’s best to eat them the day you bake them or the next day. If I have leftovers, keep in an air tight container for up to 4 days. If you find the buns getting too firm, I like to microwave them (one at a time) for about 20 seconds, this will soften them up and also make them nice and warm. You can also warm them in a preheated oven to 325°F (160°C). Wrap the buns in foil and warm for 10–15 minutes. You can also, cut them in half and lightly toast them.

Hot Cross Bun Variations


If you want to move beyond the traditional currant and raisin filling, try one of these delicious twists on the classic recipe:

  • Lemon & Blueberry: I also have a dedicated recipe for Lemon Hot Cross Buns with Dried Blueberries. These feature a bright, zesty citrus dough studded with sweet dried blueberries for a refreshing, modern take on the traditional bun.
  • Chocolate Chip & Orange: For an indulgent treat that kids (and adults!) will love, swap the dried fruit for dark or milk chocolate chips. Adding the freshly grated zest of one orange to the dough creates a beautiful “Terry’s Chocolate Orange” flavor profile that pairs perfectly with the warm spices.
  • Spiced Nut & Honey: Add a satisfying crunch by folding in ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans. For extra depth, replace a tablespoon of the sugar in the dough with honey—it complements the earthiness of the nuts and the punch of the ginger and allspice.

Serving suggestion

  • The Classic Way: Split the buns while they are still warm from the oven and slather them with plenty of high-quality salted butter. The saltiness perfectly balances the sweet glaze and warm spices.
  • The Toasted Favorite: If you aren’t eating them fresh, toast them until the edges are golden brown and the currants get slightly caramelized. This is the best way to enjoy them a day or two later! Again, with butter and jam or honey.
  • The Afternoon Tea Spread: Serve them alongside a pot of English Breakfast tea. For an extra indulgent treat, offer Clotted Cream and a tart orange marmalade or apricot jam on the side.
  • A Savory Twist: In some parts of the UK, it’s a tradition to serve a toasted hot cross bun with a thick slice of sharp Cheddar cheese. The sweet-and-savory combination is surprisingly delicious!
  • The “Leftover” Hero: If you have any buns that have gone slightly stale, use them to make a Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding. The spices in the buns add an incredible depth to the custard.
Rows of hot cross buns on a baking sheet
5 from 48 reviews

How to Make Traditional Hot Cross Buns

Janette
A Traditional Hot Cross Buns recipe that is easy to make and packed with warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, and ginger. Studded with sweet currants and finished with the classic flour cross, these soft, fluffy buns are the ultimate Easter breakfast treat. Best served warm from the oven with plenty of butter.
Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 12 buns
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Video

Ingredients
 

For the buns:

  • 1 cup (236 ml) milk , warmed to 100– 115 °F (38 – 46°C)
  • 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 cups + 2 tablespoons (525 grams) all-purpose/plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cup (150 grams) dried currants or raisins
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs beaten, room temperature

For the cross:

  • ⅓ cup (46 grams) all-purpose/plain flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Warm water

For the glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons powdered/confectioners sugar
  • Warm water

Instructions
 

Make the buns:

  • To a bowl, add the milk and whisk in the sugar and yeast. Allow to sit for 3-5 minutes (maybe more) until to start to see it bubble.
  • To a mixing bowl add the flour, salt, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, currants or raisins, mix well. 
  • Make a well in the center of the flour mix, add the milk and yeast, butter and eggs. Use a spatula to mix until the dough comes together, then use your hands to make the dough to a large ball. It will be sticky. 
  • Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of flour as needed until smooth and no longer sticky. The dough is ready when you stretch a small piece between your fingers and it thins out without tearing. You can also press your finger lightly into the dough—if it springs back slowly, it's ready.
  • Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for about 45 mins to rise. It should double in size. The oven turned off is a good place. If it has not doubled, allow more time about 15-30 more minutes.
  • Cover a large baking sheet/tray with parchment paper.
  • Once risen, divide the dough into 12 balls and shape each into a bun. You can weigh them to get them all the same size if you have a scale. Place close together on the baking sheet/tray and cover loosely with a towel.  Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes until doubled in size and touching.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F /200°C.

Make the crosses:

  • Add the ⅓ cup (46 grams) flour and sugar to a bowl and mix well. Add just enough warm water to create a thick paste. Add to a ziptop bag, remove the air and seal. Cut a little off the corner off the ziptop bag and pipe a cross on top of each bun. You can also use a piping bag. No need to score the dough, the crosses melt into the the buns as they bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown (time will depend on your oven).

Make the glaze:

  • Add the powdered sugar to a small bowl with 1 tablespoon warm water and stir until syrupy. Remove the buns from the oven and brush with the glaze while still warm. Cool the buns on a wire rack.
  • To store the baked buns, keep in an air tight container for up to 4 days. If you find the buns getting too firm, I like to microwave them (one at a time) for about 10-15 seconds, this will soften them up and also make them nice and warm. You can also warm them in a preheated oven to 300°F (150°C). Wrap the buns in foil and warm for 10–15 minutes. You can also, cut them in half and lightly toast them.

To make the dough ahead:

  • You can refrigerate the dough after step 4, wrap well and refrigerate, or complete step 7 and refrigerate the shaped buns, cover and refrigerate. In both cases, allow the dough to come to room temperature before continuing with the recipe. Add the crosses right before baking.
Serving: 1, Calories: 229kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 192mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 18g
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